Are you experiencing issues with Microsoft Edge, such as sluggish performance, unexpected crashes, or various glitches? Resetting the browser can often resolve these problems swiftly. However, there are several methods available for resetting Edge, each impacting your browsing experience differently. This comprehensive guide explores the various techniques to reset Microsoft Edge effectively, helping you choose the most suitable method to address your issues.
1. Clear Browsing Data
Before opting for a complete reset of Microsoft Edge, it might be prudent to first attempt a softer approach by clearing your browsing data. This can often resolve minor issues without significant changes. To initiate this process, follow these steps:
- Open Microsoft Edge and click on the main menu (three horizontal dots).
- Select Settings.
- In the left sidebar, choose Privacy, search, and services.
- Click on Clear browsing data.
Next, click on the Choose what to clear button and make sure to check all relevant data options, ensuring that All time is selected in the Time range dropdown menu. Finally, click Clear now to erase the chosen data.
After completing these steps, restart the browser to see if the issues persist. If problems remain, consider the following methods for further troubleshooting.
2. Reset Microsoft Edge Settings
If the browser’s configuration seems to be the root of the problem, resetting the Edge settings may help. This approach preserves your data but restores all settings to their default state, including disabling all extensions, which can help identify if an extension is causing trouble.
To reset the settings, go to Microsoft Edge’s Settings menu and select Reset settings from the left sidebar. Click on Restore settings to their default values, and then confirm the action by selecting Reset.
3. Reset User Profile Data
If you suspect that your user profile data is the source of the issue, resetting it could provide a solution. This process will delete all user data and reset any modifications. You’ll start anew with a fresh profile. Follow these instructions:
- Close Microsoft Edge and open Task Manager to ensure no Edge processes are running. Terminate any processes if necessary.
- Press Win + R to open the Run dialog, and enter
%localappdata%\Microsoft\Edgeto access the User Data folder. - You can either delete this folder or rename/move it for potential restoration later.
When you next open Microsoft Edge, it will prompt you to create a new profile from scratch. If needed, you can restore your previous profile by deleting/moving the new one and renaming the old one back to User Data. Note that any data synced with your Microsoft account will resync with the new profile.
4. Reinstall Microsoft Edge
If none of the above methods resolve your issues, a full reinstallation of Microsoft Edge can be considered as a last resort. This process can eliminate persistent problems, though it is slightly more involved. You can uninstall Microsoft Edge by either force-uninstalling it or enabling DMA features and removing it like any other application.
After uninstalling, visit the Microsoft Edge download page to reinstall the browser just like you would for any new application. Once reinstalled, Edge will open as if it is being launched for the very first time on your system.
It is advisable to consider resetting Microsoft Edge only when absolutely necessary, reserving it for situations where simpler solutions have failed. Always look for alternative fixes before going down the reset path.
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